You Can Go Back - For Photographs

Everyone was away from home, so I decided to take a drive, camera beside me, to see the old Pomona General Store.  It was only forty minutes away, with nighttime and stormy skies approaching.  The last time I'd been there in the 1980's, the store was a tourist attraction on the way to a natural bridge formation in the Shawnee National Forest.  I remembered it fondly as a functioning piece of history, that still served sandwiches and Green River soda from an old-fashioned fountain. That was then. Now, it is a very different place.  As I pulled up, it was obviously both neglected and well-kept, with customers a long-forgotten memory. Flowers were in a bed on the porch, but it was also grown up around the building.  I was lucky in that the light was dramatic end-of-day light, with even more dramatic storm clouds in the background.  It was perfect for both black & white and color efforts. 

Click on each image for a larger view.  Use the browser's back button to get back.

After a few minutes the light was gone, and I drove home.  I had gone back, though, to a place that still exudes the character of another time.  I suppose this place will still be here in another thirty or fifty years, maybe longer.  I hope so; otherwise, it will be a very lonely and desolate spot. These are the type of places made for photography.

You can view my web site at http://www.tombellart.com/

PX3 - People's Choice Award

I just received word that my "Mayan Women" series won 2nd place in the Portrait category of the Prix de la Photographie, Paris (PX3) People's Choice Awards.  Congratulations to all the winners.

You can see all the People's Choice Award winners at:  http://px3.fr/winners/2011/public.php

My website is at:  http://www.tombellart.com/

PX3 - Views of Antigua, Guatemala

UPDATE:  I just learned that eight other entries are also official selections, in addition to the series below.

I was pleased to learn this morning that the jurors of the Prix de la Photographie, Paris (Px3), have named my Views of Antigua series as a "Px3 Official Selection for 2011."  The jury's final selection will be announced next week.

You can find the Px3 at px3.fr. 

My website is at: tombellart.com.

A Summer Art Exhibition

This summer, if you happen to be in Southern Illinois, you can see a couple of my photographic prints at the Cedarhurst Center for the Arts in Mt. Vernon.  Antigua Garden and Holy Cross Chapel, Slovakia will be on display as part of the Southern Illinois Artrists Open Competition.  My photographs will be among 62 works featured.  The show will consist of paintings, drawings, ceramics, sculptures, etc., in addition to photographs.  The exhibition is August 6 - October 28, 2011.  The exhibition preview and awards ceremony is August 6 at 6:30 pm.


Antigua Garden

Holy Cross Chapel, Slovakia

Another of my photographys, Arch of Santa Catalina, Guatemala was recognized last week with a second place win in the April Pollux Awards.

Arch of Santa Catalina, Guatemala



Now that it's summer, it's time to capture more images....

You can view my website at:  http://www.tombellart.com/.

WPGA Pollux Awards Announced

I was pleased to learn that my portfolio of Guatemala portraits won first place in the non-professional division of the Worldwide Photographic Gala Awards/Pollux Awards.

There were 18,912 entries from 65 countries.  Congratulations to all of the winners and honorable mentions.

The winners announcement can be seen at:  http://www.thegalaawards.net/announcements/2010-pollux-awards-awardees

You can view my website at:  http://www.tombellart.com/.

Children are the Best Photographic Subjects

Most of the time, I don't really want people staring into the lens of my camera.  With children, it doesn't really matter -- because you get an honest image that tells something about the subject.  My example is below:  Mayan Indian children at a rural school in Chimaltenango, Guatemala.  As school children, they are curious as school children should be.  Their curiosity is reflected in every face.  Who is this with a camera?  What is he doing at my school?  What is this all about?  Why is he taking our picture?

Click on the photo for a larger image.

I'm very pleased with the above photograph, not because it's technically a masterpiece or anywhere close -- but it tells a great story-- an after all, isn't that what photography is about?


You can view my website at:  http://www.tombellart.com/.

The Zoo and Playing with PixelBender

My family and I went to the St. Louis Zoo yesterday.  It was the first truly springlike day of the year -- so I brought my camera.  I photographed many of the animals, although I had no intention of using any in my fine art photography.  I also photographed some ornamental grasses, which do have potential as fine art.

It was the prairie dogs, however that gave me a subject to play with in PixelBender.  PixelBender is a plug-in available for free download from Adobe.  It gives you the option of adding paint-like effects.  More work is still needed in Photoshop to achieve a finished look, but it give a great start on a fun project.  It's certainly not fine art, but it's a picture that could be printed to canvas to please any prairie dog lover.  Be sure to click on the image to get a better view of the brush strokes.

Click on the image to see more details of the painting.

As for the ornamental grass, it begs for a black&white sepia treatment.

Click on the image to see more details.

You can view my website at:  http://www.tombellart.com/.